Exercises To Do At Your Desk Without Looking Weird

Chances are that you spend most of your day hunched over a desk, staring at a computer screen, sedentary. All of that lack of movement puts stress on your body and your hips, in particular.

Hip tightness is a pretty common complaint for desk-bound professionals, but it doesn’t have to be. Tweaking your day by adding a little movement to your routine can work wonders for your entire body, hips included. You can incorporate a few simple stretches into your working day without looking like a goose while doing it.

The best part? You can loosen up without even breaking a sweat, without getting up and moving around or taking much time out of your daily routine. You’ll feel more comfortable throughout the day and you’ll also be able to focus on what really matters at work – enjoying getting the job done!

What exercises can I do sitting at my desk?

What exercises can I do sitting at my desk?

Exercises to counter sitting all day

Chances are that your work attire doesn’t allow you to move as much as you would during a yoga class, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help fight hip tightness by doing these stretches at your desk.

Seated twist in your chair

A seated twist in your chair is a quick, easy way to open up both the hips and the lower back. The two are connected, so loosening the lower back is going to help the outer hips keep from tightening up.

Forward fold from your chair

A forward fold from your chair is also a good pose to try. This will loosen up the rear part of your hips.

Hip flexor stretch from your chair

To loosen up the inner hips from a seated position, take one ankle and place it on the opposite knee. This is going to give your hip flexors a chance to breathe, and you can do it without having to move around or balance.

Mix up these three poses and you’ll be well on your way to reducing that hip tightness!

Neck pain from sitting at desk all day

The reality is that tightness will build up during the working day, particularly in your neck and hips. So set aside ten minutes in front of the TV to do a few of these yoga poses and stretches.

Making these stretches a habit around your home is important to stay loose, particularly when it comes to the hips and neck.

Poses like the cat stretch, triangle pose and downward facing dog pose are all going to help you stretch. You don’t have to make this a full yoga workout, but you should commit to doing this for a little bit every day.

Cat stretch

Triangle pose

Downward dog

Stretches for sitting at a desk all day

You might not realize it, but the clothes you wear leave a lasting effect on your body. While work attire serves a purpose, they tend to be more rigid and restrict your body’s ability to stretch and move.

This is a great reason to get out of your work clothes the first chance you get and change into something more comfortable. Not only is this good for your body, but it helps your mind relax as well!

When I get home, I usually change straight into my yoga pants. This gives my hips a chance to relax and settle into a position.

It’s going to be tricky to switch your pencil skirt for a pair of leopard print yoga pants in the boardroom, but how about taking a comfy pair to the office to wear after hours and on weekends, once most people have gone home?

Speaking of which, I’ve just tried out these caffeine-infused tights (yup, caffeine) which help to boost metabolism and improve skin texture. Imagine, all that work being done without lifting a finger! Use the codeIRIS10 to receive 10% off.

Undo the damage of sitting

The more you do these poses at home, the more you’ll notice that you’re not in nearly as much pain at the office.

Add these poses to a post it and stick them to your computer screen and you’ll soon be in the habit of stretching daily.

Now, get posing!

Emily x

Meet Emily

Emily Adams, is a marketing specialist. She loves all things yoga and loves to share he knowledge about the benefits of yoga, yogi lifestyle and yoga wear.

Photo: hip flexor stretch – HuffPost, yoga – jillpaschalyoga.com

Please note that although Elissa receives some form of compensation from Zarie.com, she personally recommends the tights and wears them often.